What They’re Saying About Operation Epic Fury—March 6, 2026
U.S.
President Donald Trump | TruthSocial
“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER! After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. ‘MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).’”
President Donald Trump | Axios
“Unconditional surrender could be that [the Iranians] announce it. But it could also be when they can’t fight any longer because they don’t have anyone or anything to fight with.”
President Donald Trump | Times of Israel
“US President Donald Trump says the US and Israel ‘continue to totally demolish the enemy, far ahead of schedule.’ ‘We’re destroying more of Iran’s missiles and drone capability every single hour,’ he claims . . . Trump once again calls on all members of Iran’s security forces to lay down their arms in exchange for immunity or face immediate death. He tells the Iranian people, ‘You’re going to have a chance, after all these years, to take back your country.’ ‘We also urge Iranian diplomats around the world to request asylum and to help us shape a new and better Iran with great potential,’ Trump says . . . ‘The United States will ensure that whoever leads the country next, Iran will not threaten America or its neighbors.’”
President Donald Trump | Reuters
“Trump also encouraged Iranian Kurdish forces to go on the offensive . . . ‘I think it’s wonderful that they want to do that, I'd be all for it,’ the president said.”
President Donald Trump | Reuters
“US President Donald Trump tells Reuters that he would accept assistance from any country, when asked about an offer of support from Ukraine to help defend against Iranian drones. ‘Certainly I’ll take, you know, any assistance from any country.’”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth | Pentagon Website
“Iran is hoping that we cannot sustain this, which is a really bad miscalculation for the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] in Iran . . . Our stockpiles of defensive and offensive weapons allow us to sustain this campaign as long as we need to. . . . Again, our munition status only increases as our advantage increases. [And] our capabilities? We have only just begun to fight and fight decisively. . . . Our munitions are full up, and our will is ironclad, which means our timeline is ours and ours alone to control as long as it takes, to ensure the United States of America achieves these objectives”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth | X
“Our nation mourns the loss of six extraordinary American heroes. These brave warriors gave everything in service to our country, supporting Operation Epic Fury. . . . To their families, loved ones, and fellow warfighters: We lift you up in prayer and pledge our unwavering support. Their deaths will not be in vain. We will honor them with action. We will hunt down the Iranians radicals responsible, dismantle their military capabilities, and ensure that justice is swift and absolute. We stand stronger than ever, ready to avenge these fallen heroes and crush the threats in Iran that dare to challenge us. America does not yield; we advance, we prevail, and this we’ll defend.”
CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper | Pentagon Website
“We're not just hitting what they have, we’re destroying their ability to rebuild. And so, as we transition to the next phase of this operation, we will systemically dismantle Iran's missile production capability for the future, and that's absolutely in progress,” Cooper said. He added that Centcom and Israel’s combined joint forces have ‘relentlessly destroyed’ Iran’s air defenses during the conflict, and that those forces will continue hunting for more systems to attack.”
“Iranian targets are being decimated by U.S. forces, paving the way for continued delivery of overwhelming American military firepower.”
“U.S. combat power is building as Iranian combat power declines.”
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul | X
“I have long warned that Russia and Iran are locked in an unholy alliance; you cannot bifurcate the two. Iran armed Russia with lethal drones to massacre Ukrainians, and now Putin is reportedly returning the favor by providing Iran with intelligence meant to help target and kill Americans. Once again, Putin is making clear that he has no respect for President Trump's sincere efforts to secure peace in Ukraine or elsewhere. This is an intolerable escalation by the Kremlin—one they must come to deeply regret. I call on the administration to impose swift and severe consequences for this blatant attempt to endanger American lives.”
ISRAEL
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz | Times of Israel
“Already in November, we held discussions with the prime minister in a very small forum. The prime minister set the objective: to eliminate Khamenei. In consultation with the IDF and the Mossad, the target date was ultimately set for the middle of the current year, around June—to carry this out.”
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eyal Zamir | X
“We are now moving to the next phase of the campaign, in which we will increase the damage to the foundations of the regime and its military capabilities. We have additional surprising moves, which I do not intend to reveal. We will pursue our enemies, all of them, and we will find them.”
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eyal Zamir | X
“Within 24 hours, our pilots paved the way to Tehran. We destroyed about 80% of the air defense systems and achieved almost complete air superiority over the skies of Iran . . . So far, Israeli Air Force pilots have carried out 2,500 strikes and dropped more than 6,000 munitions . . . Thanks to this and to the high-quality intelligence, we are striking the ballistic missiles that pose a direct threat to the citizens of the State of Israel. We have neutralized and destroyed more than 60% of the ballistic missile launchers . . .”
Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson | Iran International
“By Saturday, when Operation Lion’s Roar began, [Iran] had managed to rebuild 2500 missiles through renewed and mass production. If this trend had continued, the regime could have reached 8000 ballistic missiles by 2027.”
IRAN
Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani | X
“‘They sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.’”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf | X
“It seems U.S. intends to gamble with all its assets in defense of the criminal zionist regime! No sane person would enter this slaughterhouse. Worthless separatists, if they overstep their bounds and make a mistake, will be consigned to the #dustbin of history.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf | X
“Trump still doesn't realize what calamity he has brought upon himself and the American soldiers by martyring our Imam [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei], and he wants to dictate terms to a nation. The Americans, instead of taking a hard line, had not done so, and now they will come to understand that the fate of dear Iran, which is more precious than life, will be determined solely by the proud Iranian nation, not by Epstein's gang.”
Iranian Lawmaker and Former Basij Deputy Commander Salar Abnoush | X
“Parents, if your son or daughter will not listen, that is not our fault. Anyone in Iran today who raises their voice and speaks in harmony with the enemy, Tel Aviv, is under their feet and Netanyahu is over their head. A shoot-on-sight order has been issued for them. No one has spoken to you this plainly. We do not want your child to be killed because your child is ignorant, your child is unaware.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian | X
“Some countries have begun mediation efforts. Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation's dignity & sovereignty. Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian | X
“Netanyahu in three frames: To Iranians, he speaks of “freedom.’ To Americans, he warns of Iran's ‘nuclear threat.’ To his Zionist audience, he calls Iranians ‘Amaleks.’ Deception based on the geography of the audience!”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi | X
“Iran and the Arab brothers have lived side by side for centuries in a spirit of affection, friendship, and mutual respect. The American aggressors launch from the lands of our Arab friends to target children and the innocent. As for Iran's response, it will inevitably be directed at the bases of the United States and its institutions.”
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi | X
“If any country joins in the aggression against Iran . . . definitely, they will also be legitimate targets for Iran’s retaliation.”
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif | Iran International
“Zarif wrote that Iran should focus on striking ‘American and Israeli targets,’ including US naval vessels and what he described as vital interests linked to Israel. ‘We should focus on destroying the bridge between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in order to create real deterrence against mischief in the islands, and on striking the UAE (despite all the damage it might cause Iran). The UAE and Israel are one and the same,’ he said . . . Alongside military proposals, Zarif also suggested diplomatic and political steps. He wrote that mediation proposals should not be rejected and that Washington should be given an opportunity for what he described as an ‘honorable exit.’ He added that, despite his personal discomfort in saying so, the only move that might calm Trump would be an official declaration ending the ‘47-year hostility’ between Iran and the United States and its allies.”
GULF STATES
“The UAE Ministry of Defence announced that the country’s air defence systems detected 9 ballistic missiles today (6th March 2026), all of which were intercepted and destroyed. The ministry also reported the detection of 112 drones, noting that air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 109 of them, while 3 drones fell within the country’s territory.”
“His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received a phone call today from the Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. During the call, both leaders expressed their strong condemnation of the heinous Iranian attacks against Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. They stressed that these strikes constitute a blatant violation of the sovereignty, security, and safety of GCC nations and their peoples, and warned of the serious repercussions such actions pose for regional and international security and stability. The two Crown Princes also underscored the importance of continuing joint efforts and coordination among GCC members to safeguard the region’s security and stability.”
“The State of Qatar condemns, in the strongest terms, the Iranian attack that targeted buildings in various areas of the sisterly Kingdom of Bahrain housing personnel from the Qatar Amiri Naval Forces, participating within the Unified Maritime Operations Center affiliated with the Unified Military Command of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), describing it as a blatant act of aggression and a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Bahrain and a direct threat to its security and stability as well as the security of the region.”
Kuwaiti Defense Ministry | Agence France Presse
“Sixty-seven Kuwaiti military personnel have been injured” since the beginning of the attacks, according to Colonel Saud Al-Atwan, the defense ministry spokesman. Kuwait had identified and ‘dealt with’ 212 ballistic missiles and 394 drones since Saturday, he added.”
Bahrain Defense Force’s General Command | Reuters
“In a statement, the General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force said it had destroyed a total of 78 missiles and 143 drones targeting Bahraini territory in what it described as ‘treacherous’ attacks by Iran. The command said it ‘takes pride in the high level of combat readiness and vigilance shown by its personnel.’ The military urged the public to shelter in their homes, only leaving ‘in cases of extreme necessity.’”
Bahraini Interior Ministry | X
“Iranian aggression targeted a hotel & 2 residential buildings in Manama. No loss of life were recorded. Civil defence extinguished a fire in a flat in 1 of the 2 buildings.”
TURKEY
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | X
“Noting that Türkiye is closely following the developments in Iran as well as their ramifications in the region, President Erdoğan stated that necessary recommendations have been conveyed to the parties to refrain from steps that would increase the instability. Stressing that Türkiye favors a stronger diplomatic foundation and that the international community must collaborate to this end, President Erdoğan warned that the conflict-ridden process also endangers the global security.”
EUROPE
“The ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran has ‘immediate repercussions for serious and organised crime and terrorism in the EU,’ Jan op gen Oorth, Europol’s head of communications, told Euronews in an emailed statement. ‘Key risks are an elevated threat of terrorism and violent extremism, increased cyber-attacks targeting EU infrastructure, a rise in conflict-themed online fraud schemes, and the spread of disinformation and influence campaigns.’ Op gen Oorth added that the terrorist and violent extremist threat level in Europe, which can manifest through ‘homegrown radicalisation by lone-actors’ or ‘small, self-initiated cells,’ was now ‘assessed to be heightened,’ with other threats including ‘rapid online dissemination of polarising content’ that ‘may accelerate short-term radicalisation pathways in EU-based diaspora and other individuals.’”
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul | Reuters
“German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Friday called on Iran to stop launching ‘irresponsible’ attacks on third countries but added that he saw no imminent threat to the NATO alliance. ‘It is completely unjustified that Iran is attacking uninvolved states that did not participate in the attacks against Iran,’ he said.”
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot | Dawn
“France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has called for de-escalation in the Middle East war in a conversation with his Iranian counterpart and reiterated concern about French nationals held in Iran.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni | Turkish Minute
“Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned what she described as an ‘unjustifiable missile attack’ on Turkey after NATO said it intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran and heading toward alliance territory.”
UKRAINE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy | X
“We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection against ‘shaheds’ in the Middle East region. I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security. Ukraine helps partners who help ensure our security and protect the lives of our people. Glory to Ukraine!”
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